Biography:

  

George Scharr  
Band Leader

  
George Scharr currently plays bass trombone for the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra (CCSO) and the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO); is founder and conductor of the Symphony Swing Band and the Downtown Dixie Strutters; and is a founding member of the  CCSO/PPO Brass Quintet.  In addition to his other duties, he teaches jazz and brass at Falmouth Academy and is camp director for Summer Sounds Music Camp.

Scharr is the Education Director of the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra and developed a highly successful youth symphonic composition program for middle school students entitled Composing Kids (CK), which was recognized both regionally and nationally.  As an outgrowth and enhancement to CK, he recently expanded the program to include Composing Teens, involving high school students in the further development of the CK pieces. 

His music clients include the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Boston University, Bridgewater State College, Brandeis University, Entergy, Ocean Spray, and Wal-Mart to name a few.  In addition, Scharr has worked for William Bulger; Senators Kennedy and  Kerry, Massachusetts Governors Dukakis and Weld, and White House Chief of Staff John Sununu.

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A graduate of New England Conservatory with a major in trombone performance, George Scharr began playing professionally at the age of sixteen.  After a cross-country performance tour, Scharr settled on Cape Cod. He is married with three children ages 12, 17 and 19.

In recognition of his educational outreach efforts, Mr. Scharr was recently honored with the 2007 Music Advocacy Award from the Massachusetts Music Educators Association. As a jazz trombonist, Scharr received the Vince Gannon Award from Bridgewater State College for a May 2003 International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) performance.  In addition, he is former president of the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra’s board of directors.

Scharr has played with a very diverse group of conductors and performers including Morton Gould, Daniel Pinkham, The Drifters, Freddie "Boom Boom" Cannon, Wendy Law, Royston Nash, Rebecca Parris, Bobby Vincent, Tina Turner, Nadia Salerno-Sonnenberg, Gunther Schuller, Sesame Street's Big Bird, Paul Winter Consort, John Pizzarelli, Dee Daniels, Byron Stripling, Pat Carroll, Steven Karidoyanes and Bill Holcombe.

In addition, Mr. Scharr has studied with Gerard Schwartz (Seattle Symphony), John Coffey (Boston Symphony), John Swallow (Metropolitan Opera), Rebecca Parris (International Jazz Vocalist), Ken Keisler (New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra), Joseph Gifford (Boston University), Jaki Byard and Carl Atkins (New England Conservatory), Kauko Kahila (Boston Symphony), and Ray Barlow (Vaughn Monroe Orchestra).